1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to client-server computer environments and, more specifically, to interactions between client applications (e.g., media management applications) and server computers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Media players, such as digital media players, are specialized portable computing devices that store and present (e.g., play, display) digital media (e.g., music, videos, or images). Often media players are small hand-held devices with limited media storage capacity and limited media management capability. As a result, media players typically associate with a host computer. The host computer can utilize an application resident on the host computer to perform media management for the host computer and the media player, such management including purchasing of media items, downloading purchased media items, and transfer of the media items and their attributes between the host computer and the media player. One such media management application is iTunes™, produced by and available from Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. An example of a popular media player is an iPod™ which is also produced by and available from Apple Computer, Inc.
In designing a media management application, decisions must be made regarding how to implement various features such as searching, browsing, previewing, purchasing, and delivering media items. Many of these features may be hard coded into the application or, alternately, they may be associated with a server application.
However, it can be difficult to predict in advance which specific servers are going to be used to run the various server applications. Hard coding of addresses to specific server computers directly into an application is not desirable, given that servers may go down, addresses changed or otherwise become inaccessible. In addition, hard coding of addresses to specific servers in an application is problematic because any changes in the addresses requires that the application be altered through a program update or reinstallation in order for the application to properly interact with servers whose addresses have changed.
Thus, there is a need for improved techniques to implement a client application, such as a media management application, whereby access to server application is able to be altered without code changes to the client applications.